George Ryle to launch Yorkshire restaurant

George Ryle, head chef at the award-winning Garden Café at Lambeth's Garden Museum, has announced he will be leaving his role of five years to pursue his dream of opening a restaurant in his home county, Yorkshire. 

Ryle (formerly of Primeur and Padella) will leave the Garden Café next month, having held the role since 2017. He founded the eatery with friend and fellow chef Harry Kafman, following the full refurbishment of the museum. The Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner gave the café a positive review at launch, stating: "this really us one of the loveliest new spaces to open in the capital in a long while, and boasts food to match."

The venue has since garnered a strong following, with Ryle leading the kitchen since Kaufman left in January 2020. Ryle is known for his relaxed cooking style that champions British produce, seasonality and sustainability. 

Of his time at the café, Ryle says: "I feel incredibly proud of what has been achieved at the Garden Museum since I opened the café with Harry back in 2017. Back then, we saw an opportunity to do something super exciting in a really unique space and in the five years that followed, through a combination of hard work, great food and talented people, I believe we have created something very special... after five years as head chef, it feels like the right time to make a move and pursue my ambition to open my own restaurant in my home town."

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